November 2006
November 30, 2006
School Opinions and Concern Question Twenty
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
Which of the following would you find most useful in your first few months on the cyber school?
168 respondents
a. getting good grades---54.7% (94 respondents)
b. good teachers---23.3% (40 respondents)
c. Making new friends---5.8% (10 respondents)
d. someone to talk to (mentor/buddy)---14.0% (24 respondents)
Quote of the Day
When in charge
Ponder
When in trouble
Delegate
When in doubt
Mumble
Unknown
November 29, 2006
Alternative Reality Games
Games and simulations offer potential for engaging learning experiences. It's disconcerting for educators to encountere mildly interested students during lectures and class activities, only to see their energy level and enthusiasm increase during breaks as they aggressively pursue online game activities. It's enough to damage and educator's delicate ego. Learning and games don't need to be exclusive concepts. Alternative Reality Games (.pdf) is a great read on games in general...and education in paricular.
Academic Blogs
Here is a big list of academic blogs.
FLVS debuts forum for virtual teachers
As interest in online learning among U.S. students continues to mount, the Florida Virtual School, one of the nation's largest institutions in support of online learning, has announced the creation of a new web-based forum dedicated to meeting the needs of online instructors. Organizers say monthly discussion sessions featuring some of the brightest minds in online learning will provide educators with an opportunity to collaborate, share ideas, and build stronger online learning environments for K-12 students.
FLVS debuts forum for virtual teachers
School Opinions and Concerns Question Nineteen
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
When in a disruptive class I feel...
168 respondents
a. My learning is affected---29.1% (50 respondents)
b. sorry for the teacher---20.3% (35 respondents)
c. It doesn't really bother me---30.2% (52 respondents)
d. I'd like to move to another class---18.0% (31 respondents)
Quote of the Day
The mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open
Unknown
November 28, 2006
Students struggle with information literacy
Despite the assumption that today's students are tech-savvy, many fall short in demonstrating the information literacy skills necessary for success in college and the workforce, a new report says. The report comes from an evaluation of responses from students nationwide to an information-literacy assessment tool developed by the nonprofit ETS.
Report: Students struggle with information literacy
School Opinions and Concerns. Question Eighteen
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
I feel comfortable with the people that I am friends with...
167 respondents
a. always---74.9% (128 respondents)
b. rarely---3.5% (6 respondents)
c. never---2.9% (5 respondents)
d. something---16.4% (28 respondents)
Quote of the Day
Trust Everybody, but cut the cards
Finley Peter Dunne
November 27, 2006
21st Century Information Fluency Project
MicroModules are self-paced, on-demand learning experiences each tailored to a specific topic. They are designed as 10-15 minute tutorials. Many MicroModules contain audio and/or video segments to communicate key concepts.
21st Century Information Fluency Project
School Opinions and Concerns Question Seventeen
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
If I felt that I was being bullied I would...
167 respondents
a. Tell a teacher---28.7% (49 respondents)
b. Tell a friend---22.8% (39 respondents)
c. Tell a parent---25.1% (43 respondents)
d. Do nothing---21.1% (36 respondents)
Quote of the Day
No one really listens to anyone else, and if you try it for a while you will see why
Mignon McLaughlin
November 24, 2006
Business Simulation Company
I represent the business simulation company, ExperiencePoint, and we've created a series of mini decision-making simulations which puts the user in the role of the general manager of a hockey team.
General Manager of a Hockey Team
THE CANADIAN SOCIAL STUDIES SUPER SITE
This is a limited annotated list of quality websites for Canadian social studies educators, and those interested in Canada, carefully examined for their quality and use. This is also the companion website for the Webmaster's textbook.
THE CANADIAN SOCIAL STUDIES SUPER SITE
We are smarter than me.
Interesting idea...it will be one we should follow to see how it works out.
Be an author of the first networked book on business. Together we will write the book on how the emergence of community and social networks will change the future rules of business. Collaborate with authors from MIT, Wharton, and thousands of professionals from around the world. See your name in print when the book is published next fall by Pearson Publishing. Meet your co-authors in March, 2007 in Las Vegas at the Community 2.0 event.
Is Reading Dead?
While he has been impressed with the work that his students have been doing on the blog, he’s said he is feeling conflicted at many levels about the ways in which traditional literacies are changing, lamenting the fact that by and large, his students have no interest in reading traditional texts. At one point, he looked at me and said, “You know, it’s like reading is dead to them.”
SCCS Cyber Planets
The Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Division has graciously offered the use of their grades 2-8 Cyber Planets free of charge for any member(s) of the AOK12S.
Click here to view a flash overview presentation of SCCS Cyber Planets
*Please Note* We ask that all Cyber Planet registrants are members if the AOK12S. If you have not registered please do so by clicking here: AOK12S Registration
If you are already a member of the AOK12S click here to register for a Cyber Planet.
School Opinions and Concern Question Sixteen
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
Who would you talk to if you were worried about something at the cyber school?
166 respondents
a. a trusted friend---23.5% (40 respondents)
b. a teacher---43.5% (74 respondents)
c. no-one---12.9% (22 respondents)
d. your parents---17.6% (30 respondents)
Quote of the Day
Karate is a form of martial arts in which people who have had years and years of training can, using only their hands and feet, make some of the worst movies in the history of the world.
Dave Barry- American humorist, author
November 23, 2006
LIBRARY OF K-12 EDUCATION LINKS
Welcome to the Link Library. Click on your grade level, and the school subject you would like to explore!
LIBRARY OF K-12 EDUCATION LINKS
Online Resources for Students and Teachers
The following is a list of links to online activities, modules, and various resources to assist teachers in their planning and students in their learning of curriculum objectives.
Online Resources for Students and Teachers
Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School Open House
This is an open invitation to anyone who is interested...Dec 7th, 2006 6-8 pm. The address for the cyber school is 2701 Porter Street, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School
Members of the press and invited VIP will be attending between 4-6 pm. An open house mass will occur at 6:30 in the chapel.
The open house is a come and go..we will look forward to see you.
The open house format will be a series of mini presentation by the staff.
We are setting it up like a science fair. Our goal is to present ALL aspects of the Cyber School.
• Cyber School Registration Process
• Cyber School Guidance
• Cyber School History overview
• Cyber School Stats
• Filemaker Pro: How we use it at the Cyber School
• Overview of High School Courses:
• Blogs:
• Learning Communities:
• Online Chapel
• Elementary Cyber Planets
• Learning Communities
• The POD
• Association of online k-12 schools (AOK12S)
• Soccer Academy + Academies in General
• Hybrid Courses
• School Web sites
• Parish Web sites
• Types of students at Cyber (Comments and Feedback)
• 150 Day Schedule
• RSS Feeds and News Aggregate
• Phys Ed Overview: Donnie
After the Cyber School open house I will make an effort to have the presentations available.
History Matters at bed time
A great story appeared on Friday September 8th on the K12 Users Yahoo group (a “K12 Moment,” as some have dubbed these sorts of things). The family had been using some of our review materials at the beginning of a course to familiarize themselves with what had gone before – things on Islam, the Magna Carta, Marco Polo – meaty stuff. The kids were jumping around during all this – wasn’t easy to actually get ‘em to respond to questions, to see if they were actually paying attention.
The K-12 Webquest Blog
Good site for a list of wequests.
Media Awareness Network
Welcome to the Web site of the Media Awareness Network (MNet), home to one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of media education and Internet literacy resources. This section is intended to introduce you to our organization and its work.
Answers.com Teacher Toolkit
Use the site favored by teachers all over the world for facts, explanations and definitions on over 4 million topics. Winner of the 2006 Codie Award for Best Education Reference or Search Service, Answers.com is the complete reference resource for you and your students.
Association of Online K-12 Schooling
We have changed the name of the AOK12S. It was the Association of Online K-12 Schools, it is now the Association of Online K-12 Schooling, this better reflects what the association is all about. The association spans four continents and the number of members have grown. The association offers blogs, elementary school cyber planets, learning communities at all grade levels, newsletters and much much more.
Check it out at... by the way its free.
The Association of Online K-12 Schooling
School Opinions and Concerns Question Fifteen
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
Which of the following do you think will best help you to do well in the cyber school?
165 respondents
a. getting enough sleep---10.1% (17 respondents)
b. doing your homework---13.6% (23 respondents)
c. logging on regularily---20.1% (34 respondents)
d. spending enough time on course material---49.1% (83 respondents)
e. helping other students---0.6% (1 respondents)
f. eating healthy food---4.1% (7 respondents)
Quote of the Day
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time--a tremendous whack.
Winston Churchill
November 22, 2006
What does Success Look Like?
After a very close look at all aspects of the rubric the final decision by the class was to keep the rubric the way it was. I asked the students over and over again: "Does this give you a clear enough guideline to do well? Do you know what you have to do to achieve excellence?" They said yes ... one student has made a graphic image of Pedro (click on the rubric above, then click on it again to zoom in). The same student has composed some theme music for Pedro that will be added to the project blog by tomorrow ... now we'll see what they do with it ...
Mrs. Cassidy's Class
The purpose of this web page is to provide appropriate internet links for the children to practice skills they are learning, to convey information to parents and to showcase the students' work.
Simulations and Learning e-Games
People learn best by doing. Simulations and learning games that use technology to create real-world feel-like-you're-there actions provide the opportunity to engage, have fun, and truly learn. Much of this work is rooted in experiential learning now with a techno-twist.
Simulations and Learning e-Games
School Opinions and Concerns Question Fourteen
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
Which of the following do you think is the best way to make friends on-line?
163 respondents
a. Act tough---1.2% (2 respondents)
b. Talk about yourself---13.8% (23 respondents)
c. pretend to be someone else---3.0% (5 respondents)
d. tell jokes---25.1% (42 respondents)
e. ask people about themselves---51.5% (86 respondents)
f. share personal information---0.6% (1 respondents)
g. invite people to meet them in face to face---2.4% (4 respondents)
Quote of the Day
Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
Dale Carnegie
November 21, 2006
Maps of War
This is very neat website with flash to display the maps.
Very cool
The PocketMod
The free disposable personal organizer!
The PocketMod is a new way to keep yourself organized. Lets face it, PDAs are too expensive and cumbersome, and organizers are bulky and hard to carry around. Nothing beats a folded up piece of paper. That is until now. With the PocketMod, you can carry around the days notes, keep them organized in any way you wish, then easily transfer the notes to your PDA, spreadsheet, or planner.
State of the Blogosphere, October 2006
Technorati’s Dave Silfry does these updates on periodic basis. Here is the latest at State of the Blogosphere, October, 2006. Technorati is currently tracking more than 57 Million Blogs. I wonder how many have more than 10 posts and have recent posts. Their definition of active is that they have been updated at least once in the last 3 months. By this measure, about 55% of all blogs are active but this seems a bit loose.
State of the Blogosphere, October 2006
School Opinions and Concerns Question thirteen
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
What have you found most unwelcoming about your cyber school?
163 respondents
a. Other students---6.0% (10 respondents)
b. non-teaching staff---4.2% (7 respondents)
c. the website---10.2% (17 respondents)
d. the teachers---3.0% (5 respondents)
e. nothing/something else---74.3% (124 respondents)
School Opinions and Concerns Question thirteen
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
What have you found most unwelcoming about your cyber school?
163 respondents
a. Other students---6.0% (10 respondents)
b. non-teaching staff---4.2% (7 respondents)
c. the website---10.2% (17 respondents)
d. the teachers---3.0% (5 respondents)
e. nothing/something else---74.3% (124 respondents)
Quote of the Day
My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people.
Orson Welles
November 20, 2006
Count Us In
Games designed to help children understand basic number concepts.
How is your Email Etiguette?
As I mentioned already, this is one very enlightening weblog post that would allow you to figure out some really handy tips on how to get the most out of e-mail and although the most interesting part of the weblog post is placed towards the end with a whole bunch of questions I certainly encourage you all to go and have a read. And in the mean time, I will try to answer from here the different questions that Deb put together as a way to share some of the tips I follow when handling and processing e-mail. So without any further delay here we go:
School Opinions and Concerns Question twelve
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
Which of the following do you think is the most important reason for good time-keeping?
161 respondents
a. It will allow me to complete the course material---47.3% (78 respondents)
b. I will need good organisational skills throughout life---41.2% (68 respondents)
c. I will miss important lessons---9.1% (15 respondents)
Quote of the Day
Note how good you feel after you have encouraged someone else. No other argument is necessary to suggest that never miss the opportunity to give encouragement.
George Adams
November 17, 2006
Eschoolnews video
A video recap of all the month's top news with "Tech Watch" go to
Busy, Busy, Busy
Nearly everyone I know feels short of time, enough so that it’s diminishing the quality of their lives. Our homes and workplaces are filled with labor-saving devices but most of us are laboring more, not less. In the sixties, people assumed that by the turn of the century robots would do the work. Our biggest chore was going to be figuring out what to do to fight off boredom.
K-12, then and now
Ten years ago, only about 10 percent of public school classrooms in the United States were connected to the Internet, wireless technologies in schools were virtually nonexistent, and many educators were resistant to the use of technology in their classrooms. Now, more than 90 percent of public school classrooms are connected to the Internet, wireless technologies are taking off in schools, and teachers and administrators are using a host of new learning technologies, such as digital whiteboards, blogs, wikis, and handheld computing devices. In addition, the use of technology to collect and analyze student achievement data has increased dramatically.
How to Teach High Tech?
It’s tempting to think of classroom technology projects as wars between “digital natives” — students who grew up using high-tech media — and “digital immigrants” — professors who aren’t nearly so comfortable with those tools. But that dichotomy may be an oversimplification, according to Henry Jenkins, director of the Comparative Media Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
School Opinions and Concerns Question Eleven
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
Which of the following do you think is the most justified reason for not logging on to the cyber school?
158 respondents
a. Falling out with friends---6.7% (11 respondents)
b. Being bullied---16.0% (26 respondents)
c. Don't like the teacher---8.0% (13 respondents)
d. feeling unwell---44.2% (72 respondents)
e. homework not completed---22.1% (36 respondents)
Quote of the Day
I am only one, but still I am one, I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.
Helen Keller
November 16, 2006
National Survey of Student Engagement
Findings from a national survey released today show that while student engagement helps all learners, those who come to college less well prepared academically or are from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds tend to benefit even more. Being involved in educationally purposeful activities such as interacting with faculty members and working with peers on projects inside and outside of class has positive effects on grades and increases the odds that students will return to college for a second year.
National Survey of Student Engagement
The Pros and Cons of Turnitin
We’ve noted in recent months that debate over Turnitin — the antiplagiarism tool that has amassed a giant database of student papers — seems to be intensifying. Here’s a particularly interesting dispatch from that debate: a back-and-forth discussion of the service from Silver Chips Online, the student newspaper at Montgomery Blair High School, in Maryland.
What teachers should know about plagiarism software.
This fall, students at McLean High in Virginia organized a protest against their school district’s recent acquisition of Turnitin plagiarism detection software. As of late September, almost 1,200 students had signed a petition decrying the use of Turnitin, which compares students’ texts against a database of previously submitted student papers, e-journal archives, and many public Internet sites. The software then generates a report that indicates where potentially plagiarized text appears in the students’ writing.
What teachers should know about plagiarism software.
Geogreeting...Check it out
It always amazes me what people with creative minds come up with. What a great use for google maps.
Second Quote of the Day
I am not sure I agree with this but it is fuel for thought.
Schools only teach us confusion, class position, indifference, emotional and intellectual dependency, conditional self-esteem, and surveillance, says John Taylor Gatto.
School Opinions and Concerns Question Ten
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
How would you want your cyber school to deal with a bullying issue?
158 respondents
a. Suspend the student---14.2% (23 respondents)
b. Talk to the parents of all students involved---19.8% (32 respondents)
c. Ignore it---11.7% (19 respondents)
d. Talk to all students involved---51.9% (84 respondents)
Quote of the Day
About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Most will love you for what you can do for them, and some won't like you at all.
Rita Mae Brown
November 15, 2006
What are the Best Education Blogs?
I would like to see the TADO on this list.
I have a different view. The education blogs I have seen look pretty interesting. But of course if there is anyone who qualifies as a self-styled expert with dubious credentials who just wants to ventilate, it is me, so perhaps I am drawn to my kindred spirits.
In any case, it is time to change this column's appalling lack of interest in the blogs. It seems to me they are the most likely heirs to the spirit of Gardner's letters, even if they are not all to his taste.
What are the Best Education Blogs?
Life Imponderables
Life Imponderables FOR THOSE WHO TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY
1.. Save the whales. Collect the whole set.
2.. A day without sunshine is like, night.
3.. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
4.. I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory.
5.. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
6.. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
7.. I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
8.. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.
9.. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges.
10.. Honk if you love peace and quiet.
11.. Remember half the people you know are below average.
12.. Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains?
13.. Nothing is foolproof to a talented fool.
14.. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
15.. He who laughs last thinks slowest.
16.. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
17.. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
18.. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
19.. I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.
20.. I intend to live forever -- so far so good.
21.. Borrow money from a pessimist -- they don't expect it back.
22.. If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
23.. Mind like a steel trap -- rusty and illegal in 37 states.
24.. Quantum mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of.
25.. The only substitute for good manners is fast reflexes.
26.. Support bacteria -- they're the only culture some people have.
27.. When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane and going the wrong way.
28.. If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
29.. A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
30.. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
School Opinions and Concerns Question Nine
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
If I lost my way around the cyber school I would...
158 respondents
a. Ask the registrars---1.2% (2 respondents)
b. Ask another student---17.3% (28 respondents)
c. Ask a teacher---34.6% (56 respondents)
d. go to help section---44.4% (72 respondents)
Quote of the Day
A person is not given integrity. It results from the relentless pursuit of honesty at all times.
Author Unknown
November 14, 2006
Forwarding emails...think about it.
Do you really know how to forward e-mails? 50% of us do; 50% DO NOT.
Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail? Do you hate it? Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses and names. As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every E-mail address that has come across his computer. Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will make five cents for each hit. That's right, all of that inconvenience over a nickel! How do you stop it? Well, there are several easy steps.
Try the following if you haven't done it before:
(1) When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top). That's right, DELETE them. Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do. It only takes a second. You MUST click the "Forward" button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message. If you don't click on "Forward" first, you won't be able to edit the message at all.
(2) Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc: fields for adding e-mail addresses. Always use the BCC:(blind carbon copy) field for listing the e-mail addresses. This is the way the people you send to will only see their own e-mail address. If you don't see your BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear. Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that easy. When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say "Undisclosed Recipients in the "TO:" field of the people who receive it.
(3) Remove any "FW :" in the subject line. You can re-name the subject if you wish or even fix spelling.
(4) ALWAYS hit your Forward button from the actual e-mail you are reading. Ever get those e-mails that you have to open 10 pages to read the one page with the information on it? By Forwarding from the actual page you wish someone to view, you stop them from having to open many e-mails just to see what you sent.
(5) Have you ever gotten an email that is a petition? It states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to forward it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book. The email can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses. A FACT: The completed petition is actually worth a couple of bucks to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and email addresses contained therein. DO NOT put your email address on any petition. If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient. Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email address on a petition. (And don't believe the ones that say that the email is being traced, it just ain't so!)
Some of the other emails to delete and not forward are:
1. The one that says something like, "Send this email to 10 people and you'll see something great run across your screen." Or sometimes they'll just tease you by saying 'something really cute will happen.' IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!!!!! (We are still seeing some of the same emails that we waited on 10 years ago!)
2. I don't let the bad luck ones scare me either, they get trashed.
3. Before you forward an 'Amber Alert', or a 'Virus Alert', or some of the other emails floating around nowadays, check them out before you forward them. Most of them are junk mail that's been circling the net for YEARS! Just about everything you receive in an email that is in question can be checked out at Snopes. Just go to www.snopes.com . It's really easy to find out if it's real or not. If it's not, please don't pass it on.
So please, in the future, let's stop the junk mail and the viruses.
Which Superhero are you?
Did the test...
Superman... 70%
Robin... 65%
The Flash... 65%
Green Lantern... 65%
Iron Man... 65%
Supergirl... 60%
Spider-Man...55%
Wonder Woman... 50%
Hulk... 45%
Catwoman... 45%
Batman... 20%
You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.
Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz
School Opinion and Concerns Question Eight
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
How would you help another student feel better with the new cyber school experience?
156 respondents
a. Let them join in with your friendship group---16.9% (27 respondents)
b. introduce yourself---60.6% (97 respondents)
c. leave them alone until they are ready to talk---20.0% (32 respondents)
Quote of the Day
Some people think of the glass as half full. Some people think of the glass as half empty. I think of the glass as too big.
George Carlin
November 13, 2006
Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School - Innovative, Unique, and First-Class Education
High School
1. Students can start their courses at any time.
2. Students have 150 calendar days to finish a course and can work on the course 24 hours, 7 days a week.
3. Students take their final exams online.
4. Students can achieve a regular grade 12 standing without ever stepping foot inside a brick and mortar high school.
5. Students can easily upgrade marks needed for University.
6. Allows students to experience the independence needed to succeed in post-secondary educational environments.
7. The online courses and classroom allow students from a variety of different situations, the opportunity to contribute actively in class discussions and complete courses.
8. Hybrid courses allow educators in other locations to use the Cyber School courses to expand and enrich their own courses or to offer a course that may not be offered in a particular school.
9. All students involved in Cyber School have access to an Online Chapel and Student Lounge monitored by the SCCS Chaplain and School Counselor.
10. Over 3400 students have taken Cyber School courses.
Cyber Planets- Elementary School
1. Cyber Planets are for students in grades 2-8.
2. Cyber Planets filter and categorize all activities and resources by grade and subject area.
3. Cyber Planets include locally developed technology lessons using video, audio and text.
4. Grade 7 & 8 Cyber Planets include locally developed math resources.
5. Over 1500 students use the SCCS Cyber Planets.
Learning Communites
1. Learning Communities serve as a collection of useful resources for grade levels Kindergarten to grade 12.
2. Learning Communities encompass all subjects; from Physical Education to Aboriginal/First Nations Education.
3. The resources are for both online uses as well as printable copies for classroom use.
4. There are on average 50 participants in each of the over 40 Learning Communities.
Blogs
1. SCCS is now hosting blogs for educators, schools and parishes
2. Blogs allow for a simple way to communicate, via web site and or email, with students, parents and the community.
3. SCCS also hosts image archives and time capsules in blog format.
AOK12S (Association of Online K-12 Schools)
1. Founded by SCCS Staff in January 2005.
2. The AOK12S goal is to provide an online location where K-12 online educators, developers and administrators can gather.
3. This virtual community offers an environment conducive to communication, resource sharing and team building.
4. Currently the Association has members from four different continents around the world.
Soccer Academy
1. The Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Division is launching a Soccer Academy in January 2007.
2. Cyber School courses allow students the flexibility in their schedules to accommodate the time needed for intensive training.
Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School - Innovative, Unique, and First-Class Education
For all the great moms
My wife sent me this...I don't get it?
For all the great moms (& moms-to-be) I know . . .& all the dads that say "what did you do all day?"
CHILD ACTIVATED ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER - you can have it!
Recently, I was diagnosed with C. A. A. D. D. - Child Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests:
I decide to do the laundry. As I start toward the basement, I notice that there are cheerios all over the floor and my car keys are in the cereal bowl. I decide to pick up the cheerios before I do the laundry. I lay my car keys down on the counter, put the cheerios in the trash can under the counter, and notice that the trash can is full. So, I decide to take out the trash. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash I may as well pay the bills first. I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left, my extra checks are in my desk in the office/playroom, so I go to my desk where I find a sippy cup full of juice. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I decide I should put the sippy cup in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the sippy cup a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye --they need to be watered. I set the sippy cup on the counter, and I discover baby wipes that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I Better put them back in the bathroom, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the wipes back down, fill a container with water and suddenly i spot the TV remote, one of the kids left it on the kitchen table. I realize that after school when they go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote as they fight over who lost it, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I splash some water on
the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down, get some paper towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day: the laundry isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm cup of juice sitting on the counter, the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my checkbook, I can't find the remote, I can't find the wipes, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys. Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.
I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail. Do me a favor, will you? Forward this message, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent.
Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming.
Warning
ATTENTION
ALIENS ARE COMING TO ABDUCT ALL THE GOOD LOOKING AND SEXY PEOPLE.
YOU WILL BE SAFE, I'M JUST EMAILING TO SAY GOODBYE.
Online Proofreading Services--Is it cheating?
I recently had some of my students blog about the ethics of paying for professional proofreaders to help them out with their college essays. Apparently, dozens (if not hundreds?) of companies around the world, particularly in India, are offering professional proofreading services, no questions asked, with very quick turnaround times--all for very reasonable prices. Interestingly, several students responded positively, arguing that this kind of thing is really no different than the peer reviewing done in most classes--but better.
Online Proofreading Services--Is it cheating?
Whatever you do don't use Google.
I don't like the title but I like the message.
Whatever you do don't use Google.
School Opinions and Conerns Question Seven
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
Why do you think logging on to cyber school regularly is important?
156 respondents
a. to complete the course material---45.0% (72 respondents)
b. to put in the time to pass---11.9% (19 respondents)
c. to achieve a higher grade---33.1% (53 respondents)
d. it keeps me out of trouble---7.5% (12 respondents)
Quote of the Day
There is so much comedy on television. Does that cause comedy in the streets?
Dick Cavett
November 9, 2006
Time: Best Inventions 2006
Man oh Man I love gadgets. I take one of each for Christmas...sure hope Santa reads blogs.
Prairie South School Division Conversations
Nice to see another Saskatchewan School Division pushing the technology. You go...guys.
Prairie South School Division Conversations
Edublog Awards
I find it interesting that the categories change each year based on the interest of the day.
No comment from me on if this is a good thing or bad.
However, feel free to nominate TADO for one of these awards...Thanks
School Opinions and Concerns Question Six
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
Which of the following are you most embarrassed about?
153 respondents
a. yourself---28.7% (45 respondents)
b. Where you live---11.5% (18 respondents)
c. your family---19.7% (31 respondents)
d. your friends---3.8% (6 respondents)
e. your school work---31.2% (49 respondents)
Quote of the Day
Whey you blame others, you give up your power to change.
Dr. Robert Anthony
November 8, 2006
School Opinions and Concerns Question five
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
I worry about being in the cyber school.
151 respondents
a. always---9.7% (15 respondents)
b. never---32.3% (50 respondents)
c. rarely---27.7% (43 respondents)
d. sometimes---27.7% (43 respondents)
Quote of the Day
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams
Last chance to see
November 7, 2006
The Five kind of Plagiarists
I copied this blog entry from Plagiarism today...does that make me a plagiarist?
Saskatoon Cyber Students Speak out.
Why did you decide to do online education?
This is the best of the 865 respondents to the above question...
I have just recently moved back to Saskatoon, and have decided what I would like to do as a career, but I need to upgrade some courses before I am able to apply for university. I have such a busy work schedule that I felt this would be the best way for me to do this, as well as I remember when I was going to Holy Cross I did hear about cyber school and always wanted to try it out.
I am recovering from health problems, so instead of just wasting time at home,I decided to try a different approach at school and im starting to feel like it was an excellent idea.
I am a independant worker and work better alone with out destractions. I prefer to teach myself so if I do not get a subject I am not rushed and therefor can take more time to fully understand that principles.
I decided to do online education because I did not have time in my school time table to take history. Also I play sports and am gone alot so this would give me the oppoutunity to work at my own pace.
I decided to take some courses through SCCS because the submitting and receiving of assignments will be faster than with the government correspondence school. I also wanted to work with teachers who shared my beliefs and values.
Because I have heard a lot of good things about it and I would like to do it for at least one class...also because then I do not have to go to the school in the afternoon for the 2nd semester and that would be way easier for me for a number of different reasons.
I am Currently on the Saskatchewan Alpine Ski Team and it works with my training.
I'm not very good at history and have always struggled with it in school. I heard that the new cyberschool history course was more fun/interesting and from what i found out about cyberschool I thought I'd be able to learn better and do better in the class by taking the course online.
I am a full-time student at the University of saskatchewan and did not take Chemistry 30 while I was in High School. It has turned out that I need it as a pre-requisite to take university level courses. I don't have time to attend a school to take this course so cyber school offers a great opportunity for me to do the course on my own time and still keep my schedule at the U of S.
Because I am here in Edmonton due to a family emergency. The curriculum here I have been told is different, and my parents thought it would be better for me to take online courses. They thought it would be easier for me to handle also, under the circumstances.
I have a full time job. I tried upgrading in an actual high school. Ive been out of school for about a year and a half. I did not like the whole High School atmosphere. This way I can do it at my own pace. I like that.
I have a full time job and I would like to finally get my grade 12 diploma and right now it is ideal for me to take some classes in class while I take some online. It is very difficult for me to attend a full school day when I have to work. Also I would like to get good grades and the plan is to eventually go to University, so pray for me. Also I am at a certain age and level of maturity where I do value getting an education and wish to fully pursue it at whatever cost.
Because I wanted to work at my own pace, and be able to read and re-read content using my computer. I believe that I will learn a lot more effectively this way. I feel that if I do Math A30 online, I would be a lot more successful than if I were to do it at the school, where the teachers go faster than I like to keep up with.
I was physically unable to attend school due to illness. With cyber school, I can work at my own pace without worrying about falling behind and being kicked from a class when I'm ill.
Hmm.. well i Didnt really like the school enviroment and all the pressure that was included, so i decided to take a couple of online classes through the cyber school program.
I decided to do online education because I recently got out of the hospital and it was advised by my doctors that I do not go back to a regular school right away.
I am looking to raise my average to get into the Greystone Scholars and my English 20 wasn't high enough. Cyber School has given me a perfect oppurtunity to not only achieve my goals but to also get ahead in my schooling.
I decided to take calculus online because it is the only credit that I still need. This way, I can still work and save money for university without worrying about attending scheduled classes. I chose SCCS because the calculus teacher at my school said that their course is better than the one offered by the Sask Ed Correspondence School!
I didn't like the teacher or the people in the class I was in at school, so I decided to give this a try.
I decided to do online education because I heard good things about it, I really enjoy computers and it was my only other option other than waiting until next year and taking it in a classroom.
My sister recomended it because she said she enjoyed it more than Christian Ethics at school.
I am out of school right now and I thought that I would like to pick up an extra course in case I decide to go to university. Cyber school allows me to do the course in my own time and from my house. convenience.
Because I need an extra credit if I would like to graduate on time. Because I might play hockey in red deer (WHL) and if I do I will only take 3 classes.
I wanted to see what it was like. Don't enjoy classroom atmospheres so much.
I have decided to take this course becasue I am a figure skater and my skating time is when school is on so instead I can do work at night and not in the afternoon. This makes life easier and less stressful for me.
I am a student that from Hong Kong. I am in grade 12 right now, and I really want a good math mark to get in U of S.
I decided to do online education because my workload for grade 12 semesters 1 and 2 are pretty heavy as it is. With the chance of a spare each semester, I can focus more on doing my best and completing everything that i am assigned with no hassel. I can then come home and work on cyber school every day without knowing that i have piles and piles of other homework awaiting after my cyber school homework.
I am interested in trying an online course to see what it is like. I also could take more classes that I would like to if i do this class online. I am interested in testing myself to see if im am capable of independent learning.
This way I can do gymnastics in the afternoon instead of the evening.
I had to do cyber school because I want to join the soccer academy.
With living on my own and working it is difficult to go back to high school and work a part time job and still pay bills and such. So when I heard about this oportunity I had to jump at it. I am wanting to take the course I didn't get to in high school so I can go back to school and become an accountant.
I found that I was unable to take all the courses I had wanted to take by the end of my grade 12 year. This year, my family has decided to immerse ourselves in our Chinese culture by taking a year off in China. I believe that this year away from school is also an opportunity to complete the courses I was unable to fit into my school schedule during grade 12. I hope taking an online course will help me train as an individual to become more independent, resourceful, and hardworking.
I work a full time job, and I am trying to become an administrative assistant. I need this class to get into the admin course at Kelsey campus. Since my shifts vary in what time I start and finish, I figured that this would be the best way to further my education and get the classes I need or want.
I decided to do online education because im having trouble in math and i feel if i try and do it on cyber school it might be a bit easier because i dont have to be shy and go and ask the teacher in the middle of class and i just think if i do it on my own without distraction it will be easier.
I had a hard time being motivated to go to school. I found it to be a huge waste of time, as I basically sat around waiting for the bell to ring at least fifty percent of the time. All the while I was still passing with good grades. As the years went by I began to miss school as my lack of interest grew. My reason for taking online classes is so that I may learn at the accelerated pace that I desire. That and it will be easy to fit around my work schedule.
I work and have 2 young children so its easier to work in my own time than having to attend structured class schedules
I was in Québec for three months on a student exchange in Grade 11, and my teachers advised me not to take Math B30 until Grade 12. When Grade 12 came around, they told me that I had to take it via cyberschool so I can take Math C30 and Calculus before I graduate.
Online education was very appealing to me for several reasons. I am a fast learner when it comes to certain subject matter and I appreciate the opportunity to work at my own pace. The flexible hours are ideal for my style of learning and allow me to balance school with my job and extracurricular activities. I enjoy the one-on-one interaction with my teachers and the quiet atmosphere in which I can learn. Several of my classes were cancelled at school this year and I was delighted to know that I could take them online.
Virtual-school enrollment explodes
Virtual schooling, and its potential to increase student achievement, was the focus in Plano, Texas, as more than 500 educators from across the nation gathered for the annual Virtual School Symposium Nov. 5-7. The three-day event featured the release of a study detailing a dramatic surge in online enrollment among school-age children--up to a 50-percent increase in some states, researchers said--as well as a new guide for teaching online courses, among other resources.
Virtual-school enrollment explodes
School Opinions and Concerns Question four
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
What have you found most welcoming about the cyber school?
151 respondents
a. nothing/something else---31.6% (56 respondents)
b. the website---26.5% (41 respondents)
c. non-teaching staff---6.5% (10 respondents)
d. the teachers---16.8% (26 respondents)
e. other students---11.6% (18 respondents)
Quote of the Day
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts"
Bertrand Russel
November 6, 2006
Owning the teaching and the learning.
The Web is in many ways rewriting the rules of communication and socialization, that the world our students enter when they leave us will be much different from the ones we ourselves were prepared for. But it feels like there is this unspoken belief among most that we can deal with these changes without changing ourselves. And that’s is a huge problem.
Owning the teaching and the learning
Soccer academy
What can you do with a cyber school? Well, because it is possible for students to do courses at a different time then a normal school day it is possible to offer other activities during the school day. Hence the birth of our soccer academy.
Here is what 241 cyber school students thought of the idea.
Is the Soccer Academy a good idea?
Yes---56.5% No---8.1% Not Sure---33.3%
If you were a soccer player would this be something you would want to be involved in?
Yes---63.4% No---11.4% Not Sure---23.2%
Our soccer academy will allow students to stay at their home school.
They will not have to transfer to another school to participate.
This is very important---73.6% Not very important---17.5% not important at all---6.5%
Our soccer academy allows players to play with their home school's soccer team.
This is very important---56.1% a little important---30.5% not important---11.0%
The soccer academy happens during the school day, not after school.
This is very important---39.4% not very important---39.4% not important at all---19.7%
The course(s) a player will miss during the day can be done at the cyber school.
This is very important---70.3% not very important---15.4% not important at all---12.2%
What should the next academy be?
Hockey---18.7% Art---9.3% Drama---11.4% Band---6.1% Music---13.0%
Volleyball---12.6% Golf---7.3% Tennis---2.8% Dance---16.7%
School Opinions and Concerns Question three
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
What do you think is the most important quality in a good online teacher?
151 respondents
a. knowledge of the subject---31.6% (49 respondents)
b. ability to engage students online---51.0% (79 respondents)
c. computer literate---3.9% (6 respondents)
d. good sense of humour---11% (17 respondents)
Quote of the Day
The "Hidden Curriculum" Barrell (1991)
•The teacher "teaches" and the students "sit and listen" or learn passively.
•There is one "right answer" to any question, and it is in the book to be read.
•The answer to most questions can be given in one or two words, and no one will challenge you to go deeper.
•Books and teachers are always "right", and we learn only from them, not from any other resource in the room, such as our friends.
•If we wait long enough, a teacher will answer her own question, so we won't have to do much work. The teacher is the only one worth listening to.
•If we ask enough questions about a difficult assignment, we can get the teacher to make it easier and less demanding.
•"Thinking" is not something we talk about.
•If I memorize enough stuff, I can get a good grade.
•Most tasks and tests will demand recall of isolated pieces of information, and I will not have to show how concepts and ideas are related or how facts illustrate underlying principles.
November 3, 2006
Rate my teacher.ca
I am not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing?
Any comments?
FunBasedLearning.com
Some great chemistry and algebra games and other stuff.
Welcome to FunBasedLearning.com
School opinions and concerns Question Two
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
When deciding to take cyber school what were you most concerned about?
151 respondents
a. hardware issues (fast enough machine)---14.2% (22 respondents)
b. not computer literate enough---7.1% (11 respondents)
c. being able to get help when needed---29.0% (45 respondents)
d. maintaining my grades---47.1% (73 respondents)
Quote of the Day
Housework is a breeze. Cooking is a pleasant diversion. Putting up a retaining wall is a lark. But teaching is like climbing a mountain.
-Fawn M. Brodie
November 2, 2006
School opinions and concerns Question One
School opinions and concerns are a series of questions that are part of an on-going survey of the students at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. The results are posted without opinion or justification. Feel free to comment.
When I achieve success outside school, I feel...
146 respondents
a. embarrassed to share it---3.3% (5 respondents)
b. would rather keep it quiet and only tell a few people---63.2% (96 respondents)
c. pleased and would like to celebrate it at school---30.9% (47 respondents)
d. embarrassed to share it---0% (0 respondents)
Quote of the Day
If one wishes a subject to be taught with maximal effectiveness, he should:
1. Present it in its most interesting form.
a. Demonstrate its general use in life.
b. Demonstrate its specific use to the student in life.
2. Present it in its simplest form (but not necessarily its most elementary).
a. Gauge its terms to the understanding of the student.
b. Use terms of greater complexity only as understanding progresses.
3. Teach it with minimal altitude (prestige).
a. Do not assume importance merely because of a knowledge of the subject.
b. Do not diminish the stature of the student or his own prestige because he does
not know the subject.
From: Teaching by L. Ron Hubbard.
November 1, 2006
The Gathering Place
A teaching resource for use in Grades 5-8 Social Science and History.
The Gathering Place - An exploration of Canada's Capital
Search Saskatchewan
This site has been created for students who are doing research on various cities and towns in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Search Saskatchewan- a research tool for students
Remembrance Day Teacher Resources
This site contains information and links to resources that teachers may use to plan student activities for their Remembrance Day planning.
It was designed as a teacher resource and it may contains links that are not appropriate for younger students. Therefore, students should not be sent directly to any of the sites until the teacher has previewed them to make certain that the content is appropriate for their intended audience.
Remembrance Day Teacher Resources
New Poll
Quote of the Day
There is less flogging in our great schools than formerly–but then less is learned there; so what the boys get at one end they lose at the other.
Samuel Johnson (1709-84) English lexicographer and writer.
